Waiting
by 9haharharley1
Summary: Shameless Onceler/Ted. "And when will I not be too young?" Ted asked. "When you're 18." They had been together six months and still Ted had to wait. So he takes care of things himself. So does the Once-ler. Self fun-time. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE PLEASE DO NOT READ.


**Disclaimer: **This is a Lorax fanfic. I do not own the Lorax. They are property of Dr. Seuss, who's stories I totally grew up on.

**Warnings: **Shameless Tedler. Why? I don't know. But it makes me really happy, so I wrote it. I got a bad case of the pedofeels at work at seriously and couldn't help myself. IF THIS MAKES YOU SQUICK THEN PLEASE DO NOT READ. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Also a bit AU.

It's hilarious really. I finally start writing again and everything that spews from the pen is all Lorax crap. WTF.

I watching a downloaded copy of the Lorax and I noticed for the first time that old Once-ler has liver spots. Am I the only one who finds this too frickin' adorable?

* * *

"You wouldn't happen to have any video games, would you?" Ted asked, head hanging off the edge of the bed.

"Hm? What was that?" the man in the bathroom asked. He stared in the mirror, straightening his tie and green suit jacket.

Ted sighed, sitting up to observe the man in the en suite bathroom. "Video games," he called again. "Do you have any?"

"Oh." The light in the bathroom was flipped off, the tall, lanky figure of the Once-ler emerging from it. "The remote on the bedside table has a button with a television on it. Press it."

The younger man grabbed the remote. "And how big, exactly, is this television?"

The Once-ler smirked. "Find out."

Ted sighed again. He pressed the button.

The whole wall in front of him retracted, revealing a huge flat screen TV that took up most of the wall with an entertainment center set up below it. A movie player and multiple game systems sat neatly on the shelves. Ted's eyes bugged out of his skull.

"Impressive, yes?" the smirking Once-ler gloated.

Ted could only sit and stare. "Has anyone told you that you have too much money?" was all he could work out.

The Once-ler frowned, pulling on his green silk gloves. "Well, I have to spend it all on something."

"You couldn't, like, give it away to some of us poor folk?" asked the sixteen-year-old. He sat there and eyed the businessman as the Once-ler came over and sat next to him on the bed.

"I already take care of you and your family," the Once-ler admitted. "How many more people do I need to add to the list? Your little friend, Audrey, is already at the top." The Once-ler sulked, leaning back against the large, fluffy pillows on the expansive bed.

"Hey," started the brunette. He crawled up and laid his head on the green-suited man's chest. "Audrey's just a friend."

The Once-ler wrapped an arm around the boy, carding a hand through his soft hair. "Still, she's a girl; a girl you liked for a while, and most importantly, a girl your age. What we have here is considered statutory. You'd be better off with her."

"And leave you in this big, old mansion by yourself?" Ted smirked. "Not on your life."

The Once-ler smirked back. "You just love me for my money."

Ted kissed his cheek. "You found me out. What are you going to do about it, then?"

He suddenly found himself on his back, the older man pinning him there and straddling his small hips. Ted gulped, face flushing. The Once-ler continued to smirk down at him. "Why, I would ravish you, of course."

So he did, leaning down and pressing their lips together, indeed ravishing the boy, years younger than him or not. It was always cute when he'd do this, enjoying how Ted would first put up a struggle. He would then shove a tongue between the boy's lips, tasting how sweet the younger could be, relishing the smaller body relaxing against his own long and lanky one. If the boy really was in their weird relationship for the money, then he did a fantastic job pretending to enjoy everything the Once-ler did to him.

Once-ler rocked their hips together, groaning at the feel of the sixteen-year-old doing the same. It was only the thought of how young the kid was that made him stop and pull away, softly nipping at Ted's neck before sitting up.

Ted moaned in frustration. "Why'd you stop?" he whined. His face was flushed dark and his pupils were blown wide.

The answer was a rehearsed one; a line the Once-ler had given the younger all too often. "Because you're too young." Even he was frustrated that his sexual fantasies revolved around a teenager. It was embarrassing, really.

"And when will I not be 'too young?'" Ted growled in frustration. He was sick of the same line getting fed to him over and over again the past month.

"When you're eighteen," the Once-ler answered testily. "Right now things can still be considered rape if you ever decided to go to the police. They don't need any actual evidence to start investigating." His tone was bitter as he stood and straightened his clothes.

Ted groaned pants still uncomfortably tight, even in his frustration. "I wouldn't do that," he argued. "You know I wouldn't."

"And what about your mother?" the businessman shot back. "What if she finds out? She doesn't like me already; I don't need her trying to throw me in prison."

"She wouldn't so that…" Ted continued to argue feebly.

"Yes, she would and you know it." The Once-ler walked over, cupping his young… whatever he was… cheeks. 'Lovers' didn't quite fit their situation. His blue eyes softened as he gazed down at the frustrated teen. "Hey," he started, coaxing the boy to look him eye to eye. He thought Ted's eyes were the prettiest brown in the world. "I promise you, if you're still around on your eighteenth birthday, then we don't have to hide anymore."

Ted sniffed. He smirked. "What do you mean 'if' I'm still around? Of course, I'll be! Someone has to stay and mooch all of your money."

The Once-ler chuckled. "Of course." He softly kissed the boy's lips. "Keep yourself entertained while I'm gone."

"Try not to get too bored in those meetings of yours," Ted smirked.

The Once-ler smirked back; pecking the younger's lips again before pulling away. He grabbed his sparkly blue sunglasses and top hat before waving and walking out the door.

As soon as the door clicked, Ted groaned and flopped back on the bed. His pants were still rather uncomfortable and the one thing that could fully satisfy his out-of-whack teenaged hormones just walked out. It was always the same. They would tease the hell out of each other, someone would pounce, and they would snog until both of them were panting and uncomfortably hard. Ted was always willing to take it that next step, but the Once-ler was firm. He absolutely refused to go further until the teen's eighteenth birthday. A year and a half seemed like such a long time to wait.

Ted thought the older man got some sort of sick pleasure out of torturing them both. He was sure of it.

Despite his constant teasing and claims to it all being about money, Ted actually really cared for the older man. He wouldn't go so far as to say 'love,' but it was pretty close. He couldn't tell what the Once-ler's thoughts on it were, and he sure as hell wasn't asking.

None of this, however, deterred from the fact that Ted still had a problem down below.

With a slight flush and a bit of excitement at the thought that he wasn't in his room and that this was _the _Once-ler's bed, Ted unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, shimmying them down his hips slowly. They had been together six months and never had the Once-ler touched him like this. But that was okay, because when he finally did, it would be all the sweeter.

Since Ted was a teenaged boy and teenaged boys had needs, he ran a hand under his shirt and over his chest, tweaking a nipple when he found it. He gasped, back arching slightly. His skin was flushed and he licked his lips, still flicking a finger over his nipple as he reached down to grasp himself. His member twitched, fluid already leaking out over the head. He sighed in pleasure, starting a slow rhythm, raking a nail over his nipples.

Ted was so hard it practically hurt, the pressure of his hand providing some relief. He could nearly feel the silk gloves the Once-ler wore wrapped around him and he cried out, more liquid leaking as he sped up his movements. He could imagine the Once-ler over him, smirking as he gave pleasure to the younger man, tightening his grip but slowing his movements. Ted whimpered, hand following what his fantasy directed.

The Once-ler would lean in close, nibbling his on his ear and biting his neck, groaning as Ted moaned accordingly. His hand would speed up and slow down and Ted was sobbing for release, begging for more.

"Please, please!" he practically screamed.

And the Once-ler would kiss him hard, all tongue and teeth, then pulling away and finally, _finally _letting the boy cum.

Ted screamed the older man's name as he came, vision going white as fireworks went off behind his eyelids.

Then he sagged against the bed and sighed, realizing that it was a fantasy and that he still had to wait for the real thing.

So he hopped off the bed and pulled his pants up as best he could with one hand, walking into the bathroom to wash off, feeling just a little disappointed.

And a bit dirty.

He grinned.

Walking back into the bedroom, he grabbed one of the controllers off the entertainment shelf, grabbed the remote and tried to figure out how to play some damn video games.

/

Seven months ago, if someone had told the Once-ler, one of the most powerful men in the world now, that he would be rendezvousing with some kid every couple of days, then he would have laughed and made that person's life a living hell. He would never have taken the risk at being labeled something as horrible as a pedophile. Not only did it make him look terrible in a public light, but it was bad for the company and bad for business.

Although the difference between sixteen and twenty-five was debatable, the public didn't see it that way.

The point was that it should have never happened.

The Once-ler could remember the day he met Ted vividly.

About seven months ago he had lain off a whole department of people. The area was going to be demolished and the workers replaced for the new branch. Apparently one of those workers had been Ted's mom.

Once-ler hadn't been too concerned with the lay-offs; people had to be let go all the time. What he hadn't been counting on was a tenacious and irritating woman, with a son who was equally as tenacious.

Every day for a week the woman would call, asking about her job and openings for a new one. Every day his secretary denied her. But she kept calling, sometimes multiple times a day. On the second week, the woman – Helen, he recalled – came into the main building where his corporate office was, demanding that the Once-ler see her. The Once-ler refused and had security escort her out. She did this for another week.

Finally she had stopped. Once-ler had breathed a sigh of relief, continuing about his normal business. It was halfway through the quiet week when he'd just got out of a meeting that he'd requested to be alone in his office with no disturbances.

Imagine his surprise when he finds a lone kid sitting in his oversized chair flipping through his papers.

"Is your office big enough?" the kid had asked.

The Once-ler was about to barge back through the doors to call security, but the kid had jumped up and pleaded with him. His name was Ted, he said, and he was there on behalf of his mom, who was unable to sneak around as well as Ted could. Their family had fallen on hard times, he explained, and his mother needed her job at the factory to support them. Ted was still fifteen at the time and unable to get a proper job to help pay the bills.

Ted spent an hour trying to appeal to his sensitive side, pleading and begging the older man to let his mom have her job back. The Once-ler thought it over and eventually struck a deal with the boy. Hey, he thought he was cute, so what the heck? He told Ted that if the kid could work for him for two weeks as his goffer, then he would rehire Helen. Ted had immediately jumped at the offer.

After his weekly meeting was over, the Once-ler stood, addressing the board cordially as they walked out the door. He pressed the intercom for his secretary.

"I'm going to be in my office," he told her. "No one is to disturb me."

"Yes, Mr. Once-ler," she replied.

As the Once-ler walked back to his office, he continued to ruminate. Ted had been an enthusiastic helper, apparently having been a bit of an admirer for a couple of years. Right off the bat the businessman found him adorable, answering any and all questions the teen had for him and buying him things he mentioned he wanted in conversation. Ted never realized then that he had the all-powerful Once-ler wrapped around his little finger. The Once-ler was pretty sure the kid still didn't know.

It was at the end of the second week when things changed.

The Once-ler had just gotten out of a meeting and went back to his room to find Ted sitting on his bed. Immediately the Once-ler knew something was wrong.

"Ted," he called. "Is something wrong, Ted?"

Ted didn't look up. He sat at the end of the large bed and wrung his hands together. The Once-ler sat down next to him.

"Hey, come on, kid," the older man coaxed.

"My birthday is next week," the boy admitted softly. "I'll be sixteen."

The Once-ler was confused. He hesitantly wrapped an arm around the younger boy. "That's a good thing, isn't it?" He never really celebrated his own birthday before; his family didn't care enough. He'd have to remember to buy him something. "Why would you be sad about that?"

Ted sniffed, sad brown eyes looking into the Once-ler's. The look in those eyes nearly broke the older man's heart. "I won't see you again after this week, will I?"

Once-ler started at this. "What makes you say that?" He was genuinely confused.

"Well, it's time, right?" asked Ted, sniffling again. "I was supposed to work for you for two weeks and now they're up. I thought you meant that you would have nothing to do with me after that."

The Once-ler sighed, throwing his other arm around the boy and holding him close. "No, no, no," he mumbled over and over again. "Kid, you're welcome to see me anytime you want." He buried his nose in Ted's soft brown hair, inhaling deeply.

Ted was confused. "Why would you want to be around me anymore than you have to? I'm just some nobody punk kid."

"Yes, but you're my nobody punk kid now," the Once-ler stated with a smirk. "You can come bother me anytime you want."

This single statement earned him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen in his twenty-five years. His heart flipped and sped up, beating so hard against his ribcage he was sure Ted could hear and feel it.

"Now," he croaked, clearing his throat and removing his arms from the boy. Had he imagined the disappointment in those eyes? "What do you want for your birthday? Ask for anything, if it's in my power to give, I shall."

Ted flushed, looking down bashfully at his hands in his lap. He mumbled something.

"What was that?" The Once-ler leaned down a little closer to hear him.

Ted suddenly looked up, face bright red. He pecked the taller man's cheek and glanced away again. Once-ler's eyes widened.

"I said I'd like to spend it with you…" he mumbled again. The Once-ler continued to stare down at him with wide blue eyes. Ted grew nervous. "I-I mean, if that's okay! I know you're busy and all and can't really find the time to spend with some kid, I get it! It was a stupid request, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -" Two fingers were pressed to his lips. The Once-ler was smiling softly.

"Of course, I'll spend time with you on your birthday, Ted," he promised.

The teen positively beamed up at him, and before anything else could register in the Once-ler's mind, he found himself on his back with an armful of Ted Wiggins. Their lips were pressed together clumsily and Ted's face was scarlet. The Once-ler really wasn't expecting that. He could only pull Ted closer and continue kissing him, and he had to admit that it was the sweetest thing he had ever done.

Looking back on it, the Once-ler still didn't regret a single thing.

He couldn't remember how long they laid there, soft kisses placed on each other's lips over and over. But it had been a source of equal embarrassment for both when they finally pulled apart. Ted had been horrified at himself while the Once-ler was unsure of what to make of these newfound feelings. But true to his word, after Ted left for home shortly after the incident, the swag businessman had located his phone and called Helen Wiggins personally to offer her a job as supervisor of the new department. It paid way better than her last job at the factory and she had to do less work. The woman had been so ecstatic that she immediately said yes. Once-ler could only imagine the elation on Ted's face when his mom told him the good news. She was to report to work in two days.

As promised, the green-suited man spent at least half the day on Ted's sixteenth birthday with him. They didn't talk about the little incident in the Once-ler's bedroom. Instead, the Once-ler made sure the teenager got everything he so much as looked at. He spent at least a couple hundred on assorted movies, games, clothes, and _stuff_ for the kid and refused to let the boy feel bad about it. He even got to meet Audrey.

That had been a strange encounter indeed.

It's not that he didn't like the redhead; she was a few years older than Ted and just as sweet. He recalled Ted mentioning a massive crush he used to have on her and felt an immense jealousy when the two spoke. Ted, however, acted like they had only ever been close friends. Which, for all the Once-ler knew, that's all they ever were. It wasn't like they ever dated.

And why did that thought burn a hole through him like battery acid?

Thinking of it now still did.

About a week later, the Once-ler and Ted wound up in the same position on the older man's bed, Ted blushing profusely and the Once-ler confused as hell. And when it happened again not two days after that, they both decided that whatever it was between them felt really good and neither wanted to stop. It took a couple more weeks before the older of the two was finally comfortable enough to initiate their little cuddles and kisses as well.

It was about a month ago when they started getting into the heavier petting.

The doors to his office banged shut behind him and the inventor made his way to his oversized chair. He enjoyed the rare peace he was granted in the middle of the day and the time alone. Not that he didn't like spending time with Ted. He just liked the quiet sometimes.

He smiled at the thought of his little… lover, he guessed. It wasn't really clear what they were. But he wouldn't trade their relationship for anything in the world, jail time or otherwise. The kid was just so sweet and adorable, and the Once-ler wanted to do horribly naughty things to him. Of course, he promised himself that he wouldn't do anything too horrible to Ted until after his eighteenth birthday.

First the kid had to stick around that long.

Once-ler smiled sadly.

Surely, Ted would get bored of him and leave. Even if he was just after money, which the Once-ler knew he wasn't, Ted was a growing boy and he had needs; needs the Once-ler refused to fill just yet. That would frustrate any teenager. Ted could easily slink off and go out with Audrey or any other girl he wanted. He didn't need an old Once-ler to deal with.

The Once-ler sighed and shook his head. These were negative thoughts that didn't need to be entertained right now. Or ever.

So he took a deep breath, straightened up, and opened up the laptop he kept locked in a drawer in his desk. On it were security feeds, a couple of which only he had access to.

One just so happened to be in his own bedroom.

Call him paranoid, so sue him; someone had broken in once. It was his bedroom and he would do what he'd like with it, thank you.

He clicked on the link to open the live feed. Ted appeared on the screen from four different angles and the Once-ler smiled. Ted was lying on his stomach; feet kicking the air with the most determined look on his face, controller in hand. Once-ler didn't play video games; never saw the appeal of them. The whole entertainment center had been a surprise for Ted for the next time he was stuck on his own because the Once-ler was caught up in meetings, which had been that morning. Well, at least the teen liked it. The Once-ler rested his head on a fist, soft smile in place. He felt a bit like a creep watching the kid through cameras, but that was okay because Ted's pink tongue was poking out between luscious lips, and it was just too freaking adorable.

Then he remembered the events of that morning.

Curiosity getting the best of him, the Once-ler rewound the video back to that morning, grinning stupidly at how adorable they looked asleep together. Then he fast forwarded to when he stepped out the door to go to his meeting.

He outright laughed at how huffy Ted looked, flopping onto the bed. The younger was grumpy and his pants had a bit of a bulge in them, and the Once-ler still thought he was the cutest thing in the world.

He choked, eyes bulging out of his skull. Ted had a hand under his shirt and the other was going for his pants. The Once-ler gulped, a blush creeping up his pale cheeks.

The kid was… in _his_ bed?

His pants were suddenly very tight.

Ted was moaning and panting as he worked out of his jeans, grasping himself and working his member slowly.

The Once-ler was panting as well, reaching for his own pants. He felt horribly dirty.

They had never seen each other fully naked before. It was one of those things the Once-ler was paranoid about that could be used against him in a court of law. So obviously he had never seen Ted this intimate before. And it was so fucking hot that didn't even care if his computer ever wound up in the hands of the police. He was saving the damn file.

Ted was begging for him now.

Once-ler moaned as he reached down and wrapped a hand around his member, the silk of his gloves sending pleasant shivers up and down his spine. He watched the brown-eyed teen on the computer with heavy, lust-filled eyes, moving his hand in time with Ted's.

He practically growled at the slow pace Ted started with, moaning as the kid begged for more. He sped up when Ted did, applying different amounts of pleasure to hiss erection. The boy started jerking wildly and so did he, never taking his eyes off the beautiful teen in his bed. He moaned and panted as he watched, feeling heat pool in his belly.

It was when Ted cried out his name in completion that the Once-ler came, growling and moaning as his vision lit up. He slumped back in the chair, feeling sweat on his back and forehead. He watched Ted lay there and realized that it most have been a rather intense orgasm. His most certainly was.

When Ted walked into the bathroom, Once-ler looked down at himself. His pin-striped slacks were hanging off his slouched hips and his hand and white dress shirt were covered in his essence. He sighed. It looked like he would need a new pair of gloves.

He continued to watch his young lover as he made himself comfortable on the bed and figured out how to work the many systems. Once-ler smiled. He reached for the intercom on his desk.

"Ms. Hudson, cancel the rest of my appointments for the day," he told the secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Once-ler," she replied.

Stripping off his gloves and throwing them in the trash next to his desk, the swag businessman locked up his computer and fixed his clothes, making himself presentable before walking out the door.

Ted was playing some fighting game when he finally arrived back to his room. The teen's face was scrunched up in concentration, barely registering the older man's entry. He jumped when the Once-ler sat down next to him, immediately pausing his game.

"Hey," he greeted. He kissed the man's cheek. "You're back early."

The Once-ler sighed, nuzzling his nose in the boy's soft hair. "I missed you."

Ted smirked. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." The Once-ler wrapped long arms around the teen, feeling a massive burst of affection for the boy. "The meeting was boring and I missed you, so I'm taking the rest of the day off so that we can cuddle."

"Really?" Ted's eyes lit up.

"Really." Once-ler held him tighter, falling back on the bed and bringing Ted with him.

Ted laughed and cuddled close, softly kissing the man's lips. "I'd like that," he whispered.

"Good." The inventor rubbed their noses together. "Because that's what we're doing. No interruptions."

"Okay." Ted's eyes closed, nuzzling his face in the elder's chest.

All was quiet.

Then…

"Plus, I wanted to tell you that I witnessed your little… performance… earlier," the Once-ler admitted with a bit of a smirk.

Ted's eyes popped open in horror and the Once-ler laughed.

* * *

The Once-ler still has some morals. And yes, Ted does stay the night at the Once-ler's every so often.

This is obviously AU, seeing as Ted and everybody else exists during the Once-ler's younger years. I imagine that Oncie must have been about 23 when he chopped down that first tree. This takes place about two years after that, with his business far more substantial, and he'd be about 25, so he's not too horrifically older than Ted. I would also say that Audrey's about two years older than Ted, so she would have just turned 18 in this probably.

At least, that's what my headcanon dictates.

Their relationship seems like it would be a playful one, and while Ted is still most definitely a virgin, he _is_ a teenaged boy and teenaged boys still masturbate. So sweet and innocent he may be, you can't tell me he doesn't have some playtime with himself.

Also, I can write a full on graphic sex scene, but not a masturbatory one. What does that say about me, I wonder?

Review please! Or tell me what a horrible person I am for writing this, in which case I shall laugh because I WARNED YOU.


End file.
